Dictionary: meaning, definitions and examples

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dictionary

 

[ ˈdɪkʃ(ə)n(ə)ri ]

Context #1 | Noun

reference

A book or electronic resource that lists the words of a language (typically in alphabetical order) and gives their meaning, or gives the equivalent words in a different language, often also providing information about pronunciation, origin, and usage.

Synonyms

lexicon, vocabulary, wordbook

Examples of usage

  • I always keep a dictionary on my desk.
  • She used the dictionary to look up the meaning of a word.

Translations

Translations of the word "dictionary" in other languages:

🇵🇹 dicionário

🇮🇳 शब्दकोश

🇩🇪 Wörterbuch

🇮🇩 kamus

🇺🇦 словник

🇵🇱 słownik

🇯🇵 辞書 (じしょ)

🇫🇷 dictionnaire

🇪🇸 diccionario

🇹🇷 sözlük

🇰🇷 사전 (sajeon)

🇸🇦 قاموس (qāmūs)

🇨🇿 slovník

🇸🇰 slovník

🇨🇳 词典 (cídiǎn)

🇸🇮 slovar

🇮🇸 orðabók

🇰🇿 сөздік

🇬🇪 ლექსიკონი (leksikoni)

🇦🇿 lüğət

🇲🇽 diccionario

Word origin

The word 'dictionary' originated from the Latin word 'dictionarium', meaning 'a collection of words and phrases'. The concept of a dictionary has evolved over centuries, with the first known dictionary dating back to ancient Sumer in the 3rd millennium BC. Dictionaries have played a crucial role in language development and communication.

Word Frequency Rank

At #7,429 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.